Droplet sweeping to enhance heat transfer during dropwise condensation

Abstract

It is well known that dropwise condensation (DWC) can achieve heat transfer coefficients (HTCs) up to 5-8 times higher as compared to filmwise condensation (FWC). The interaction between the condensing fluid and the surface defines the condensation mode. Coatings that present low surface energy and high droplet mobility are a solution to promote DWC instead of FWC on metallic substrates. In the present paper, the effect of vapor velocity during DWC has been investigated over a sol-gel coated aluminum surface and a graphene oxide coated copper surface. Heat transfer coefficients and droplets departing radii have been measured at constant saturation temperature and heat flux, with average vapor velocity ranging between 3 m s-1 and 11 m s-1. A recent method developed by the present authors to account for the effect of vapor velocity on the droplet departing radius is here presented. The results of the proposed method, when coupled with the Miljkovic et al. [1] heat transfer model, are compared against experimental data.